NHL News

Oliver Kapanen • C • Canadiens

Oliver Kapanen Remains Out Saturday

Montreal Canadiens center Oliver Kapanen (lower body) won't play on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss a second straight game. As a rookie, Kapanen played in all 82 games last season, registering 37 points (22 goals, 15 assists). He was Montreal's fourth-highest goal-scorer. Kapanen's next chance to make his season debut comes Tuesday night against the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.

4 hours ago

Mackie Samoskevich • RW • Kraken

Mackie Samoskevich Activated From Injured Reserve

Seattle Kraken right wing Mackie Samoskevich (upper body) has come off Injured Reserve and will be available Saturday night against the Edmonton Oilers. He missed Seattle's season opener against Calgary but has been cleared to return to the lineup. Big things are expected of Samoskevich as a top-six regular in Seattle, and he should also see power-play time. The former Panther will make his debut in a great spot, facing an Oilers team that has allowed 13 goals in two games. To make room for Samoskevich on the roster, the Kraken moved Jacob Melanson (upper body) to Injured Reserve.

4 hours ago

Jake DeBrusk • LW • Canucks

Jake DeBrusk Unavailable Saturday Due to Illness

Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (illness) will miss Saturday's contest against the Calgary Flames. On Saturday morning, Canucks head coach Manny Malhotra revealed that DeBrusk was dealing with an illness. DeBrusk registered one assist and four SOG in the first two games of the season. Aatu Raty will enter the lineup as his replacement. With DeBrusk absent, Linus Karlsson is expected to move to the first line. Karlsson averaged only 13:42 of ice time in the first two games of the season, but he will have a significantly more important role on Saturday night.

4 hours ago

Bowen Byram • D • Blackhawks

Bowen Byram Won't Play Saturday

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Bowen Byram (personal) won't play in Saturday's clash against the Buffalo Sabres. Byram was supposed to meet his former team, but he is attending to a family matter and will skip the game. The Blackhawks acquired Byram from the Sabres this offseason and signed him to a whopping six-year, $75 million extension. Byram hasn't found his footing in Chicago yet, failing to register any points and posting a minus-four rating through his first two games. After allowing 11 goals in two games, the Blackhawks are planning several defensive changes, with Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro expected to enter the lineup.

4 hours ago

Jake Sanderson • D • Senators

Jake Sanderson Officially Available Saturday

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (undisclosed) will be in the lineup Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sanderson has been trending in the right direction and has now been officially cleared to play in Ottawa's season opener. This is great news for the Senators, whose backline will be without Artem Zub (knee) at the start of the season. Sanderson is expected to carry a heavy workload, partnering with Nikolas Matinpalo on the first defensive pairing. He will look to build on a strong year, having amassed 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists) in 67 games.

5 hours ago

Aleksander Barkov • C • Panthers

Panthers Place Aleksander Barkov on Long-Term Injured Reserve

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (leg) was placed on long-term Injured Reserve on Saturday. The Panthers captain suffered an apparent left leg injury on Thursday night against the San Jose Sharks. Barkov remains under evaluation after undergoing an MRI. The Panthers are reportedly optimistic that Barkov's injury is not season-ending. Still, he's facing a spell on the sidelines and must miss at least 10 games and 24 days after landing on long-term injured Reserve. With Barkov out, the Panthers will lean more on Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell at center.

5 hours ago

Alex Tuch • RW • Capitals

Alex Tuch Starts Life in Washington With Two-Goal Outing

Washington Capitals winger Alex Tuch lit the lamp twice in Friday's impressive 5-2 road win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes. In his official Capitals debut, Tuch became the fifth player in franchise history to open his tenure with a multi-goal outing, providing two of Washington's three first-period goals. He started the season on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Tom Wilson. Across the previous four campaigns, Tuch has scored at least 30 goals three times. As a member of Washington's talented forward group, Tuch is in a prime spot for another prolific year in 2026-27.

11 hours ago

Leo Carlsson • C • Ducks

Leo Carlsson Opens Season With Multi-Point Effort

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson contributed a goal and an assist in Friday's season-opening 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. This was Carlsson's first outing since becoming the NHL's highest-paid player with a five-year, $90 million contract. He certainly proved his worth, helping the Ducks to a 4-0 lead before Vegas made the score respectable with three third-period goals. Carlsson logged 17:43 of ice time, including 2:58 on the power play. The Ducks went with Cutter Gauthier and A.J. Greer as Carlsson's running mates on the first line. By racking up four points together, the trio showed off good chemistry.

11 hours ago

JJ Peterka • RW • Bruins

JJ Peterka Pots Game-Winner in Overtime Friday

Boston Bruins winger JJ Peterka potted the game-winning goal on Friday night as the team beat the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 in overtime. The Bruins narrowly escaped defeat in regulation on a goal from Elias Lindholm, and Peterka popped up with the winner in the extra frame. David Pastrnak assisted both goals. Peterka has become the first player in eight years to score in each of his first two outings for Boston. He plays with Lindholm and Pastrnak on the top line, and the trio has found good chemistry early in the season. They'll head back to work on Saturday night against Minnesota.

12 hours ago

Joel Hofer • G • Blues

Joel Hofer Blanks Stars in Season-Opening Win

St. Louis Blues goaltender Joel Hofer was in top form during Friday's season opener against the Dallas Stars, registering a 25-save shutout in a 4-0 win. The Stars had won six straight season-opening games, but they couldn't find a way past Hofer on Friday night. Hofer became the second goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in a season opener, joining Jaroslav Halak. Although Hofer tends to be solid on most nights he plays, he must compete for playing time with Jordan Binnington, limiting his fantasy appeal. Binnington is expected to make his season debut on Saturday against Colorado.

12 hours ago

Alexey Toropchenko • RW • Blues

Alexey Toropchenko Sustains Upper-Body Injury in Season Opener

St. Louis Blues winger Alexey Toropchenko left Friday's season opener against Dallas due to an upper-body injury. He saw only 5:08 of action before his premature exit. The Russian forward will likely be forced to sit out Saturday's matchup with Colorado after Blues head coach Jim Montgomery said Toropchenko was "more than day-to-day." Toropchenko's absence won't have significant fantasy implications, as he has a limited fourth-line role in St. Louis. Zach Dean and Dillion Dube are the options to fill in for him on Saturday.

12 hours ago

Roope Hintz • C • Stars

Roope Hintz "Fine" After Knee-on-Knee Collision

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz escaped injury in Friday's season-opening loss to the St. Louis Blues, Lia Assimakopoulos of the Dallas Morning News reports. In the game, Hintz was involved in a knee-on-knee collision with Blues defenseman Brandon Carlo. Hintz needed help getting off the ice, while Carlo was ejected from the game. Fortunately, Hintz returned to action and felt "fine" after the game. Injuries are never far from Hintz, who suited up for just 53 games last season. This time, he was lucky and looks set to remain in the lineup for Saturday's clash against Nashville.

12 hours ago

Seamus Casey • D • Devils

Seamus Casey to Sit Out 6-8 Weeks

New Jersey Devils defenseman Seamus Casey (knee) has been ruled out for 6-8 weeks. The 22-year-old suffered a knee injury in a preseason game on Sept. 24 and underwent surgery. Casey impressed with eight points (four goals, four assists) in 14 outings during the 2024-25 campaign, but the Devils used him only twice last season. The knee injury is a significant setback to his attempt to break into the team. A minimum six-week absence means Casey won't be an option for the Devils' blue line until at least mid-November.

Yesterday

A.J. Greer • LW • Ducks

A.J. Greer Available for Ducks Debut Friday

Anaheim Ducks winger A.J. Greer (upper body) will make his team debut on Friday night against Vegas, Zach Cavanagh of The Sporting Tribune reports. Greer has been iffy for the contest due to an upper-body injury sustained during the preseason, but he has been cleared for action. Not only that, but the former Panther will also get an opportunity to impress in a first-line role. With elite talents like Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier next to him, Greer is in a great spot to make a positive first impression. Anaheim also plans to use Greer on the second power-play unit.

Yesterday

Andrei Kuzmenko • LW • Penguins

Andrei Kuzmenko Returns to Practice

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Andrei Kuzmenko (personal) rejoined practice on Friday. He was away from the team for a week to be with his family following his father's passing. The Penguins have removed Kuzmenko from the non-roster list ahead of Saturday's clash against Montreal, signaling he may enter the lineup. On Friday, Kuzmenko skated on the fourth line. Kuzmenko has had an up-and-down NHL career but can heat up in the right circumstances. He has averaged nearly 0.7 points per game in his career.

Yesterday

Olen Zellweger • D • Sabres

Olen Zellweger Clears Concussion Protocol

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Olen Zellweger (concussion) will be available on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He missed Thursday's season opener against Columbus after suffering a concussion in a preseason game. Zellweger practiced alongside Owen Power on the second defensive pairing Friday. Based on the practice lines, Matt Grzelcyk is set to make room for Zellweger in the lineup. With the Anaheim Ducks, Zellweger had back-to-back 20-point campaigns. This should be the minimum target for him during his first year in Buffalo.

Yesterday

Warren Foegele • LW • Senators

Warren Foegele Cleared for Action

Ottawa Senators winger Warren Foegele (undisclosed) will play Saturday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. There were doubts about whether Foegele would be available for the season opener due to an undisclosed ailment, but he came through Friday's practice without any issues and has been cleared to play. Foegele skated with the first line Friday, suggesting he will play an important role in Saturday's contest. In 68 outings with the Senators and Los Angeles Kings last season, he contributed 13 goals and four assists, so Foegele typically doesn't have a major offensive impact.

Yesterday

Jake Sanderson • D • Senators

Jake Sanderson Resumes Skating Friday

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (undisclosed) was back on the ice on Friday and could play in Saturday's season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The star defenseman has been dealing with an undisclosed injury after being hurt in a preseason game. Sanderson averaged nearly 25 minutes of ice time last season and plays a crucial role at both ends of the ice for Ottawa. In 2025-26, he notched 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists) and had 128 blocks. If he's cleared to play, Sanderson will fill a spot on the first defensive pairing and quarterback the first power-play unit.

Yesterday

Macklin Celebrini • C • Sharks

Macklin Celebrini Records Hat Trick of Assists in Season Opener

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini set up three goals in Thursday's season-opening 4-3 overtime win over the Florida Panthers. Celebrini had a short-handed and a power-play assist on a pair of Will Smith goals in regulation and assisted Luca Cagnoni on the game-winning goal in overtime. He became the third player in franchise history to record three-plus assists in a season opener. The young Sharks star took his game to an elite level last season and should still have plenty of upside at 20. In the next matchup, Celebrini will face the L.A. Kings, who allowed eight goals in their season opener against Colorado.

Yesterday

Connor McDavid • C • Oilers

Connor McDavid Bags Five Points in 16-Goal Thriller

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid contributed a goal and four assists in Thursday's 9-7 road win over the Vancouver Canucks. As on Tuesday in the season opener against Vancouver, the Oilers leaked goals all over the place, but this time the frontline did enough to secure a victory. This was McDavid's 15th career five-point game, tying him for the seventh-most in NHL history. Two games into the new season, McDavid already has seven points (one goal, six assists). With Edmonton's defense as shaky as ever, McDavid can't afford any days off if the team wants to be competitive.

Yesterday

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